Animals
- shutter speed > 250
- make sure at least one eye is in focus
- panning - 1/30 or 1/60
- single focus point unless flying birds, then all points
- use burst modespot metering, use exposure compensation button (+/-)
- use a blind
- scenic (animal + environment) vs closeup (animal only) vs portrait (head)
- Sunrise / Sunset lighting best 30 min before and after sun comes up/goes down
Cloudy
- f/8, 1/125
Fireworks & Lightning
- shutter < 30
Ghost
- shutter >2.5 sec
Landscape
- 20-70mm
Long Exposure
- on tripod, use leash
- don’t point camera at sun for long periods on manual - may damage sensor
Macro
- ring light
- spray leaves & spiderwebs with water in spray bottle
- f/16 max
- copy work - longer lens better, sensor parallel to artwork, lowest ISO possible, if refection problematic, put up black board with hole for lens cut out
- use SLR focus lock : after pushing halfway, switch to manual
Mechanical Action
- shutter speed > 500
Ocean / Surfing / Sports
- low tide so sand is wet
- surf - shutter 650-800
- sports stop action >250
Portraits
- blur background
- people - put eye line 1/3 down from top; don’t crop frame on a joint
- make sure eyes are sharp
Star effect on Lights
- smaller aperture w/ long exposure
Star Trails
- 28mm including rock/tree & horizon
- 35mm or 50mm including rock/tree & pole
- f/4 or f/5.6
- telephoto lens @ pole 20-30 min
- ISO 100
- interrupt star trails by holding black cardboard in front of lens
- amp up to f/16 to have visible stars to one end
Still Life
- Glass Objects
- use black background/tablecloth to see edges strong
- set us translucent barrier between lights and glass object
- Jewelry
Sunny
- f/16, 1/250
- add 2 stops if under shade in bright location
Travel
- figure out points of interest to photograph
- pick up local newspapers to help if you are going to produce article with pictures
- cityscapes & architecture
- highest point in major cities
- street festivals, markets, street life
- traditional dress opportunities
- natural settings, wilderness
- landscapes
Water
- waterfall - shutter < 1/30
- running water < 1/8
- to keep liquid bubbly, add salt
- droplets - add glycerin